The paleoautoecology of Tijubina pontei Bonfim-Júnior & Marques, 1997 (Lepidosauria, basal Squamata of Santana Formation, Aptian of Araripe Basin, Lower Cretaceous of Northwest of Brazil)

Abstract

Tijubina pontei is a basal lizard found in the Crato Member, Santana Formation, Lower Cretaceous (Aptian), Brazil. It is considered a sister group of Huehuecuetzpalli mixtetus, the only basal lizard previously known, found in Mexico. The paleoautoecology of T. pontei is compatible with a terrestrial animal, omnivorous, which could eventually occupy other ecological niches. Based on their dentition and ecomorphology, their behaviour could be a combination of active forager or a "sit-and-wait" one. It could even perform bipedal locomotion. Comparing T. pontei with Liolaemus lutzae, an extant brazilian lizard, we find many characters and morphological similarities. This suggests that the L. lutzae habits could be extrapolated to the paleoenvironment of T. pontei which, probably, lived in a sandy habitat, with a vegetation that could support variations in salinity and high temperatures.